Portable wound therapy system

ABSTRACT

A portable system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with healing a surgical wound, includes a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject, a portable subatmospheric pressure mechanism dimensioned to be carried or worn by the subject and a container for collecting exudates from the wound bed removed under the subatmospheric pressure supplied by the subatmospheric pressure mechanism. The portable subatmospheric pressure mechanism includes a housing, a subatmospheric pressure source disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the wound dressing to supply subatmospheric pressure to the wound dressing and a power source mounted to or within the housing for supplying power to actuate the subatmospheric pressure source.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 14/971,586, filed on Dec. 16, 2015 entitled “PORTABLE WOUND THERAPYSYSTEM”, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 14/134,802, filed on Dec. 19, 2013 entitled “PORTABLE WOUND THERAPYSYSTEM”, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 11/904,411, filed on Sep. 27, 2007 entitled “PORTABLE WOUND THERAPYSYSTEM”, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,641,691 on Feb. 4, 2014, whichclaims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/847,886, filed on Sep. 28, 2006 andentitled “PORTABLE WOUND THERAPY SYSTEM.” Each of these priorapplications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entiretyand is to be considered a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to treating an open wound, and, morespecifically, relates to a portable wound therapy system including awound dressing in conjunction with subatmospheric pressure to promotehealing of the open wound.

Description of Related Art

Wound closure involves the migration of epithelial and subcutaneoustissue adjacent the wound towards the center and away from the base ofthe wound until the wound closes. Unfortunately, closure is difficultwith large wounds, chronic wounds or wounds that have become infected.In such wounds, a zone of stasis (i.e. an area in which localizedswelling of tissue restricts the flow of blood to the tissues) formsnear the surface of the wound. Without sufficient blood flow, theepithelial and subcutaneous tissues surrounding the wound not onlyreceive diminished oxygen and nutrients, but, are also less able tosuccessfully fight microbial infection and, thus, are less able to closethe wound naturally. Such wounds have presented difficulties to medicalpersonnel for many years.

Negative pressure therapy also known as suction or vacuum therapy hasbeen used for many years in treating and healing wounds. A variety ofnegative pressure devices have been developed to drain excess woundfluids, i.e., exudates, from the wound to protect the wound and,consequently, improve healing. Various wound dressings have beenemployed with the negative pressure devices to isolate the wound andmaintain the subatmospheric environment.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, a portable system for subatmospheric pressure therapy inconnection with healing a surgical or chronic wound, includes a wounddressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of asubject, a portable subatmospheric pressure mechanism dimensioned to becarried or worn by the subject and a container for collecting exudatesfrom the wound bed removed under the subatmospheric pressure supplied bythe subatmospheric pressure mechanism. The portable subatmosphericpressure mechanism includes a housing, a subatmospheric pressure sourcedisposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the wounddressing to supply subatmospheric pressure to the wound dressing and apower source mounted to or within the housing for supplying power toactuate the subatmospheric pressure source. The subatmospheric pressuresource includes a pump member. The pump member is selected from thegroup consisting of a diaphragm pump, a double diaphragm pump, a bellowspump and a peristaltic pump.

An actuator for activating the pump member may also be provided. Theactuator may be mounted to the housing. The actuator may be selectedfrom the group consisting of AC motors, DC motors, voice coil actuatorsand solenoids. The power source may include disposable batteries orrechargeable batteries and may be releasably mounted to the housing. Thepower source may be reused with new components of the subatmosphericpressure mechanism.

The container may be mounted to or within the housing. The container maybe relatively flexible. Alternatively, the flexible container may beremote from the housing and worn by the patient. The flexible containerincludes at least one collection path or a plurality of collection pathsdefined therewithin for containing the exudates. The plurality ofcollection paths may define a serpentine or parallel fluid patharrangement.

The subatmospheric pressure mechanism may be discarded after a singleperiod of use. Alternatively, some of the components of thesubatmospheric pressure mechanism may be reused.

The wound dressing may include a wound contact member for positioningagainst the wound bed, a wound packing member and a wound covering toencompass a perimeter of the wound bed. The wound contact member mayinclude a porous section to permit passage of exudates. The woundcontact member may be substantially non- adherent to the wound bed. Thewound packing member may include a plurality of fibers or filaments in atow arrangement. The wound covering may be adapted to permit passage ofmoisture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the wound dressing system of the presentdisclosure are described herein with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view in partial cross-section of the portable woundtherapy mechanism of the present disclosure illustrating the wounddressing and the subatmospheric pressure mechanism;

FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of the area of detail identified in FIG. 1;

FIG. 1B is a view of an embodiment of a packing member of the wounddressing of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the components of thesubatmospheric pressure mechanism;

FIG. 3A is a view of a carrier support apparatus for supportingcomponents of the subatmospheric pressure mechanism;

FIG. 3B is a view of an alternate carrier support apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a view of another alternate carrier support apparatus;

FIGS. 5A-5C are views of alternate embodiments of the portable woundtherapy system illustrating the wound dressing and a flexible exudatescontainer for collecting exudates;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the flexible exudates container of theembodiments of FIGS. 5A-5C;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible exudates containertaken along the lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an alternate arrangement of the flexibleexudates container incorporating a substantially parallel fluid path;and

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating one methodology for mounting the flexibleexudates container to the subject.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The wound therapy system of the present disclosure promotes healing of awound via the use of a wound dressing and a portable subatmosphericpressure mechanism. The wound therapy system is entirely portable, i.e.,it may be worn or carried by the subject such that the subject may becompletely ambulatory during the therapy period. The wound therapysystem including the subatmospheric pressure mechanism and componentsthereof may be entirely disposable after a predetermined period of useor may be individually disposable whereby some of the components arereused for a subsequent therapy application. Generally, the portablesubatmospheric pressure mechanism applies subatmospheric pressure to thewound to effectively remove wound fluids or exudates captured by thecomposite wound dressing, and, to increase blood flow to the wound bedand enhance cellular stimulation of epithelial and subcutaneous tissue.

The wound therapy system of the present disclosure promotes healing of awound in conjunction with subatmospheric negative pressure therapy. Thesystem may incorporate a variety of wound dressings and subatmosphericpressure sources and pumps.

Referring now to FIG. 1, several embodiments of the wound therapy system100 of the present disclosure are illustrated. Wound therapy system 100includes composite wound dressing 102 and subatmospheric pressuremechanism 104 in fluid communication with the wound dressing 102 throughconduit, identified schematically as reference numeral 106. In FIG. 1,three alternate subatmospheric pressure mechanisms 104 a, 104 b, 104 care shown. Subatmospheric pressure mechanisms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c sharesimilar components as will be appreciated. Any of the subatmosphericpressure mechanisms 104 a, 104 b, 104 c are contemplated for use withwound dressing 102.

Wound dressing 102 may includes several components, namely, woundcontact layer or member 108, a wound packing member or filler 110supported by the contact member 108 and outer layer or cover member 112.Wound contact member 108 is adapted to substantially conform to thetopography of a wound bed “w”. Wound contact member 108 is substantiallyporous to permit exudates to pass from the wound bed “w” through thewound contact member 108. The porosity of contact member 108 may beadjusted by varying the size of the apertures or perforations both indiameter or size and in distribution about the contact member 108. Thus,fluid flow from the wound may be optimized and adherence of the contactmember 108 to the wound bed may be minimized. Wound contact member 108may also be non-adherent. This configuration allows fluid and exudatesto flow uninhibited through wound contact member 108 with minimal“sticking” of wound contact member 108 to the wound bed “w” whilemaintaining proper wound moisture balance. FIG. 1A illustrates contactmember 108 with pores 108 a. The pore 108 a may be equal in size ordiameter or have varying or random sizes and dimensions.

The passage of wound exudates through the wound contact member 108 ispreferably unidirectional such that wound exudates do not flow back tothe wound bed “w”. This unidirectional flow feature could be in the formof directional apertures imparted into the material layer, a laminationof materials of different fluid transfer or wicking capability or aspecific material selection that encourages directional exudates flow.However, a bidirectional layer for the purposes of supplying medicine oranti-infectives to the wound bed “w” is also envisioned and will bedescribed hereinafter.

In addition, agents such as hydrogels and medicaments could be bonded orcoated to the contact member 108 to reduce bioburden in the wound,promote healing, increase blood flow to the wound bed and reduce painassociated with dressing changes or removal. Medicaments include, forexample, antimicrobial agents, growth factors, antibiotics, analgesics,nitric oxide debridement agents, oxygen enrichment and the like.Furthermore, when an analgesic is used, the analgesic could include amechanism that would allow the release of that agent prior to dressingremoval or change.

Contact member 108 may be constructed from a variety of differentmaterials. These may include but are not limited to synthetic nonabsorbable polymer fibers such as carbonized polymers, polyethylene(PE), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Nylon,arimids, Kevlar, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or natural fibers suchas cellulose. It is envisioned that contact member 108 may betransparent to allow improved visual capacity and a better view of woundbed “w”. Moreover, contact member 108 may be constructed of a fabricwhich could be woven, nonwoven (including meltblown), knitted orcomposite structures such as spun bonded fabrics. Exemplary materialsused as contact member 108 are sold under the trademark EXCILON™ orXEROFLOW™ both by Kendall Corp, a division of TycoHealthcare.

Wound packing member 110 of wound dressing 102 is intended to absorb andtransfer wound fluid and exudates. Exemplary absorbent materials includefoams, nonwoven composite fabrics, hydrogels, cellulosic fabrics, superabsorbent polymers, and combinations thereof. Typically, wound packingmember 110 can contain or absorb up to about 100 cubic centimeters (cc)or more of wound fluid. Preferably, the absorbent material includes theantimicrobial dressing sold under the trademark KERLIX® AMD by KendallCorp., a division of TycoHealthcare. In one preferred embodiment,packing member 110 could be preformed or shaped to conform to varyingshapes of the wound bed. Those skilled in the art will recognize thatpacking member 110 can be formed in any suitable shape. Packing member110 may include multiple layers. In another performed embodiment, thepacking member 110 may be constructed in layers of varying absorbentmaterials to assist in directional flow or exudates away from the wound.

Additionally, with reference to FIG. 1B, the packing member 110 mayinclude hydrophobic materials such as continuous synthetic fibersintended to transfer wound fluids under negative pressure. The syntheticfibers may be constructed from polymeric materials such aspolypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and other like polymers. Thecontinuous fibers may be arranged in bundles or multiple fibers to helpfacilitate loft or form to the wound packing member 110, e.g., in a towarrangement depicted in FIG. 1B. Further, the fiber bundles may bebonded at given lengths using straps or some form of adhesive, into afused zone 110 b. The fused zone 110 b may be an area to cut the fiberbundle to a selected length to adapt the wound packing member 110optimally to various wound sizes.

Alternatively, wound packing member 110 could behydrophobic/non-absorbent materials to minimize wound fluids near thewound. Examples of such materials may be fibers in a tow arrangement,felts or foam composed of PTFE, PE, PET or hydrophilic materials treatedwith silicon or PTFE solution.

Additionally, absorbent or non-absorbent packing member 110 could betreated with medicaments. Medicaments include, for example, ananti-infective agent such as an antiseptic or other suitableantimicrobial or combination of antimicrobials, polyhexamethylenebiguanide (hereinafter, “PHMB”), antibiotics, analgesics, healingfactors such as vitamins, growth factors, nutrients and the like, aswell as a flushing agent such as isotonic saline solution.

In the alternative, absorbent or non-absorbent packing member 110 mayinclude a bead arrangement as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. PatentPublication No. 2007/0185463, the entire contents of which isincorporated herein by reference. The beads disclosed in the '463publication are preferably substantially rigid so as to maintain theirshapes for at least a predetermined period of time during healing. Thebeads when arranged within the wound bed “w” define spaces or passagestherebetween to permit wound exudates to pass through the passages. Thesizes of the beads may vary, but they should be sized to achieve theproper pore size through the bead arrangement to facilitate cellproliferation and allow fluid and air to be evacuated from the wound. Aporosity in the range of 10-1000 μm has been found beneficial instimulating cell proliferation and in allowing fluid and air to beevacuated from the wound. The beads may work in conjunction with contactmember 108 to conform to the wound bed “w” while allowing drainage ofwound exudates and release of air from the wound bed “w” withoutclogging. As the negative pressure is applied, the beads will move andreadjust their respective positions to prevent painful ingrowth that canoccur with current foam dressing designs.

Referring again to FIG. 1, outer member or wound covering 112encompasses the perimeter of the wound dressing 100 to surround woundbed “w” and to provide a liquid-tight seal around the perimeter “p” ofthe wound bed “w”. For instance, the sealing mechanism may be anyadhesive bonded to a layer that surrounds the wound bed “w”. Theadhesive must provide acceptable adhesion to the tissue surrounding thewound bed “w”, e.g., the periwound area, and be acceptable for use onthe skin without contact deteriorization (e.g., the adhesive shouldpreferably be non-irritating and non-sensitizing). The adhesive may bepermeable or semi permeable to permit the contacted skin to breathe andtransmit moisture. Additionally, the adhesive could be activated orde-activated by an external stimulus such as heat or a given fluidsolution or chemical reaction. Adhesives include, for example, medicalgrade acrylics like the adhesive used with CURAFOAM ISLAND™ dressing ofTycoHealthcare Group, LP or any silicone or rubber based medicaladhesives that are skin friendly and non irritating. Wound coveringmember 112 may be provided with an adhesive backing and/oralternatively, an adhesive may be applied to the wound covering 112and/or skin during the procedure. As a further alternative, an annularshape adhesive member 114 may be interposed between the periphery ofwound covering 112 and overlapping the periphery of contact member 108to secure the wound covering 112 about the wound “w”.

Wound covering 112 is typically a flexible material, e.g., resilient orelastomeric, that seals the top of wound dressing 102 to prevent passageof liquids or contamination to and from the wound dressing 102.Exemplary flexible materials include the semipermeable transparentdressing manufactured under the trademark Polyskin II® by Kendall Corp,a division of Tyco Healthcare Group LP. Polyskin II® is a transparentsemi permeable material which permits passage of moisture or watervapors from the wound site through the dressing 102, while providing abarrier to microbes and fluid containment. Alternative films could bemanufactured from polyurethanes, breathable polyolefins, copolyesters,or laminates of these materials. The transparency of wound covering 112permits a visual review of the status of the wound dressing 102 and thesaturation level of the packing member 110. As an alternative, outercovering member 112 may be impermeable to moisture vapors.

Outer suitable wound dressing are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S.Patent Publication Nos. 2007/0078366, 2007/0066946 and 2007/0055209, theentire contents of each disclosure being incorporated herein byreference.

Referring now to the schematic diagram of FIG. 2, in conjunction withFIG. 1, subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104 will be discussed.Subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104 includes housing 116, vacuumsource or pump 118 disposed within the housing 116, actuator or motor120 disposed with the housing 116 a for activating the vacuum source 118and power source 122 mounted relative to the housing 114. Vacuum sourceor pump 118 may be any miniature pump or micropump that is biocompatibleand adapted to maintain or draw adequate and therapeutic vacuum levels.Preferably, the vacuum level to be achieved is in a range between about75 mmHg and about 125 mmHg. Vacuum source or pump 118 may be a pump ofthe diaphragmatic, peristaltic or bellows type or the like, in which themoving part(s) draw exudates out of the wound bed “w” into the wounddressing 102 by creating areas or zones of decreased pressure e.g.,vacuum zones with the wound dressing 100. This area of decreasedpressure preferably communicates with the wound bed “w” to facilitateremoval of the fluids therefrom and into the absorbent or non-absorbentpacking member 110. Vacuum source or pump 118 is actuated by actuator120 which may be any means known by those skilled in the art, including,for example, AC motors, DC motors, voice coil actuators, solenoids, etc.Actuator 120 may be incorporated within pump 118.

Power source 122 may be disposed within housing 116 or separatelymountable to the housing 116. A suitable power source 122 includesalkaline batteries, wet cell batteries, dry cell batteries, nickelcadmium batteries, solar generated means, lithium batteries, NIMHbatteries (nickel metal hydride) each of which may be of the disposableor rechargeable variety.

Additional components of subatmospheric pressure mechanism may includepressure sensor 124 to monitor pressure adjacent the vacuum source orpump 118 or selected locations displaced from the pump 118, andregulation or control means 126. The control means 126 may incorporate amotor controller/driver 128 including processing and drive circuitry tocontrol or vary the drive voltage to the motor of the vacuum source orpump 118 responsive to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 124.The output of the motor of the vacuum source 118 may be increased ordecreased, or initiated or discontinued, as controlled by control means126. Pressure sensor 124 would also provide information to assist indetecting a leak in the wound therapy system 100 if the optimalsubatmospheric pressure is not achieved. Regulation or control means 126may also have an alarm such as a visual, audio or tactile sensory alarm(e.g., vibratory etc.) to indicate to the user when specific conditionshave been met (e.g., the desired vacuum level or loss of vacuum).Pressure sensor 124 may be replaced or supplemented with any other typeof sensor or detector for measuring or detecting a characteristic orcondition of the wound bed “w”. Additional sensors contemplated includethermal sensors, bacterial sensors, oxygen sensors, moisture sensors,etc. which will provide the clinician with additional diagnosticinformation.

Referring again to FIG. 1, wound therapy system 100 further includescollection canister 132 which collects the exudates removed from thewound “w” during therapy through tubing 106. Collection canister 132 ispreferably associated with housing 116 and may be incorporated withinthe housing 116 or releasably connected to the housing 116 byconventional means. Collection canister 132 is substantially rigid anddefines an internal chamber in fluid communication with tubing 106. Asan alternative, the collection canister 132 may include a flexible unitcontained within housing 116 and removable to facilitate disposal ofwould fluids.

In the subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104 of FIG. 1, vacuum source orpump 118, motor 120, pressure sensor 124 and control means 126 areincorporated into housing 116. Pressure sensor 124 may also be displacedfrom the housing of the micropump 118, e.g., adjacent packing member 110at a location displaced from housing 120, and connected to the controlmeans 126 through an electrical connection. Power source 122 may beincorporated within housing 116 or may be releasably connected to thehousing 116 through conventional means.

In the embodiment of subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104 a, thesubatmospheric mechanism 104 a is intended for a single use application,i.e., the subatmospheric mechanism 104 a is disposed after apredetermined period of time. Such period of time may vary from aboutone day to about seven days or more. One application contemplated is athree-day time period. Thus, after three days of therapy, the entiresubatmospheric mechanism 104 a including the components (vacuum sourceor pump 118, actuator or motor 120, power source 122, pressure sensor124 and control means 126) as well as wound dressing 102, collectioncanister 132 and tubing 106 are disposed. In the embodiment ofsubatmospheric mechanism 104 b, all of the components (vacuum source orpump 118, actuator or motor 120, pressure sensor 124, control means 126and collection canister 132) are disposed after the predetermined periodof time, e.g., from about one day to about seven days, with theexception of power source 122. In this regard, power source 122 has agreater life capacity, e.g., a duration of about twenty to about fortydays, or more about 30 days. Thus, power source 122 may be releasablymounted to housing as shown in FIG. 1, and reconnected to the housing116 for a subsequent application with the new components. Any means forreleasably mounting power source 122 to housing may be appreciated byone skilled in the art. Power source 122 may be rechargeable.

In the embodiment of subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104 c, theelectrical components will have a greater life expectancy, e.g., betweenabout twenty to about forty day, more about thirty days. Thus, thesecomponents may be reused for a subsequent application after collectioncanister 132, wound dressing 102 and tubing 106 are discarded.

With reference now to FIG. 3A, there is illustrated a body support bag134 for supporting at least the subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104and at least canister 132. As discussed, the wound therapy system 100 ofthe present disclosure is adapted for mounting to the body of thepatient to be a self contained portal unit. In this regard, thesubatmospheric pump mechanism and canister may be at least partiallycarried or supported by the body support bag 134. The body support bag134 generally includes a pouch 136 and at least one strap 138,preferably two straps, for securing the pouch 136 to the body of thepatient. The body support bag 134 is intended to receive and store atleast subatmospheric pump mechanism 104 and collection canister 132. Thebody support bag 134 may be worn about the waist of the patient such aswith a belt loop. This is desirable in that it may reduce the length oftubing needed depending on the location of the wound. In addition, thepouch 136 may be located adjacent the abdomen of the patient which maypresent a significantly enhanced ability to conceal the system. Tubing106 may be secured to the body with tape, straps, or the like, or,optionally, may be unsecured and disposed beneath the patient'sclothing. Thus, the body support bag 134 permits the patient to movewithout restrictions or limitations, and provides an entirely portablecapability to the patient during wound drainage and healing.

FIG. 3B illustrates an alternate embodiment of the body support bag. Inaccordance with this embodiment, the body support bag 140 is adapted formounting to the shoulder of the patient and has a pouch 142. In otherrespects, the body support bag 140 functions in a similar manner to thebody support bag of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement where the body support bags 134, 140are eliminated. In this arrangement, a belt 144 is connected to housing114 through conventional means such as, e.g., a slide clasp, to permitthe housing 114 to slide relative to the belt 144, or, alternatively,the belt 144 may be directly fixed to the housing 114. Multiple beltarrangements are also envisioned.

In use, wound dressing is placed adjacent the wound bed “w” as shown inFIG. 1. Subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104 is then activated creatinga reduced pressure state within wound dressing 102. As the pumpingprogresses, exudates are collected and directed to collection canister132. When vacuum source or pump 118 is activated and set at a specificset point, the pump 118 will begin to draw pressure until it achievesthe set point. The vacuum reading at the pump will stay at this leveluntil the set point is changed, the pump is turned off, or there is amajor leak in the system that overcomes the pumps ability to continue toachieve this level. Subatmospheric pressure therapy may be continuous orintermittent.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrates alternative embodiments of the wound therapysystem 200 of the present disclosure. In accordance with theseembodiments, collection container 202 is removed from housing 204 and isdisposed in line between wound dressing 206 and subatmospheric pressuremechanism 208. Various containers 202 are contemplated. In oneembodiment, container 202 is relatively flexible and expandable, anddefines an internal chamber for collecting the exudates. Thus, asexudates are received within container 202, the container 202 expands toaccommodate the volume of exudates. Container 202 may include multiplechambers. In one embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5C and FIGS. 6-7,container 202 includes multiple channels or collection paths 210 influid communication with each other. Channels 210 may be arranged inside by side relation as shown to thereby define a general sinusoidalarrangement. Container 202 may include super absorbent materials withinthe internal chamber or collection paths 210 such as superabsorbentpolymers or gels, i.e., a polymer having the capacity to absorb liquidto an amount several times larger than its own weight. Antimicrobials tocontrol bacteria growth may also be added to container 202. The use ofsuch polymers will significantly enhance the absorbent capability andexudates volume contained within the container 202. Container 202 alsomay include a filtration membrane 212 adjacent the exit port leading tothe pump or housing 204 to minimize passage of exudates to the pump.Suitable filtration membranes 212 include membrane filters incorporatingpolymer films with specific pore ratings. Such polymer films may includenitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, hydrophilic PTFE, hydrophobic PTFE,nylon, polycarbonate. FIG. 5A illustrates a portion of container 202removed to depict the location of filtration membrane 212. The fluidflow of exudates is indicated by directional arrows 214.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternate arrangement where channels 210 extend ingeneral parallel arrangement within the container 202 along a majorportion of the channels 210. The channels 210 are in communication withinlet and outlet vacuum conduits 216, 218 which are in communicationwith the respective wound dressing 102 and the pump 118. Non-absorbentmaterials may also be added. Such materials may include TOW, felt orfoam.

Container 202 may be supported via either of the body support bagsillustrated in FIGS. 3-4. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, container202 may be directly affixed to the subject by conventional meansincluding via surgical tape 220 or leg straps (elastic straps).Container 202 may be affixed to the leg area, abdominal area, back areaor any inconspicuous location on the body or on or near the wounddressing.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5A, container 202, wound dressing 206 andtubing 222 are intended to be replaced after a predetermined period oftime which extends between about one to about seven days, more aboutthree days. Subatmospheric pressure mechanism 104 d including vacuumsource or pump, actuator or motor, power source, pressure sensor,control means (similar to the corresponding components discussedhereinabove) are intended for an extended life, for example betweenabout twenty to about forty days, more about thirty days. Thus after,e.g., each three day period, container 202, tubing 222 and wounddressing 202 are discarded and replaced with new components forconnection to subatmospheric pressure mechanism. In the embodiment ofFIG. 5B, container 202, tubing 222 and wound dressing 206 will bereplaced as discussed hereinabove in connection with the embodiment ofFIG. 5A. Similarly, the components of subatmospheric pressure mechanismwill be replaced in a similar manner. However, subatmospheric pressuremechanism 104 e is a more advanced system and may include a doublediaphragm pump operated via a voice coil actuator. Passive dampeningcapabilities such as foam insulation to reduce the noise levels may alsobe incorporated into the housing. In the embodiment of FIG. 5C,container 202, tubing 222 and wound dressing 206 as well as vacuumsource or pump and sensor are disposable in a shorter duration of fromabout one to about seven days, or about three days. The power source,actuator or motor and control means are intended for reuse with newcomponents replacing the earlier discarded components.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described, it is notintended to be limited to the details shown, since various modificationsand substitutions can be made without departing in any way from thespirit of the present disclosure. As such, further modifications andequivalents of the invention herein disclosed can occur to personsskilled in the art using no more than routine experimentation, and allsuch modifications and equivalents are believed to be within the spiritand scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims.

1-18. (canceled)
 19. A system for storing fluid from a tissue site, thesystem comprising: a wound packing material adapted to be positionedover the tissue site; a cover layer adapted to cover the wound packingmaterial and skin adjacent to the tissue site to form a sealed space,the cover layer having an aperture; and a collection container adaptedto be positioned adjacent to the cover layer and adapted to be fluidlycoupled to the aperture, the collection container having a first fluidchannel portion and a second fluid channel portion so that a directionof fluid flow in the first channel portion is in a substantiallyopposite direction from a direction of fluid flow in the second channelportion, at least one of the first fluid channel portion and the secondfluid channel portion adapted to contain liquid from the tissue site.20. The system of claim 19, wherein the collection container furthercomprises an absorbent material disposed in the first fluid channelportion and the second fluid channel portion.
 21. The system of claim20, wherein the absorbent material covers at least a portion of thefirst fluid channel portion and the second fluid channel portion. 22.The system of claim 19, wherein the collection container is positionedon the wound dressing.
 23. The system of claim 19, wherein: the firstfluid channel portion and the second fluid channel portion are aplurality of fluid channel portions.
 24. The system of claim 19, furthercomprising a connection tube fluidly coupling the collection containerto the aperture of the cover layer.
 25. The system of claim 19, furthercomprising a reduced-pressure source adapted to be fluidly coupled tothe collection container to supply reduced pressure through thecollection container to the wound packing material.
 26. The system ofclaim 19, wherein the wound packing material is configured to transferwound fluids from the tissue site.